Top Chef: New Orleans – Ep 14 – The Shadow Chef And The Fake Villain

Elimination Challenge – They all pick their moments or inspiration – BB goes with St. Lucia, Nick finds a complex carrot dish which was the first moment he found himself as a chef, Huskey goes with his mentor’s dish, Carlos goes with his restaurant’s signature dish and Chung goes to the shrimp challenge from earlier this season as her moment. She is making a brand new dish for the occasion.

The key moments are the pots incident. Nick goes off on Carlos for thinking about moving Nick’s pots. He then tries to make blackened quinoa for texture on his Forrest Gump’ Bubba-style dish of carrots 154 ways. It gets ruined. Also, BB’s pasta is a disaster, so she simplifies it and makes easier pasta. Huskey chooses to make a skinless, boneless chicken breast for some bizarre reason. It was almost as if he was giving up.

Chung’s seared snapper was delicious and perfect. Favreau said the fact that all of them were tilting their plates to get it all was a great sign. Gail was drooling on herself.

BB’s fettuccine and charred calamari was simple but perfect. Favreau loved the calamari and Tom said the pasta was perfect.

Huskey’s chicken anicucho was heavy and muddled. Tasty but boring. And the twice-cooked potatoes were still raw on Emeril’s plate.

Carlos’ pork belly was outstanding and everything had a purpose on the plate. And we got a great, um, camera angle of Gail in the process.

Nick’s tuna and carrots were interesting and sophisticated but lacked texture and too gooey.

Nick and Huskey are in trouble, while Chung’s breathtaking broth gives her the win. Huskey’s choice of the chicken breast was his downfall. He went to LCK and made his best dish of the season, according to Tom. Unfortunately for him, Tom felt Louis’ dish was the best dish anyone made all season long.

So we get Nick, BB, Chung and Carlos, with one potentially to be replaced by Louis in the finals. And I hope

If you want to see the dishes – check out Bravo’s site. I have officially run out of time for links this week. Considering the fact that the next ep airs in a few hours. Hopefully I won’t be too swamped this week, or angry at the show. Anger is, of course, a path to the Dark Side after all.

Quickfire Hits
• Padma’s Western style Quickfire blouse was my favorite part of this episode. Of course.
• Actually, my favorite part was Favreau joking with them that the challenge would be to cook what they find in dumpsters in the French Quarter. HA! And that would be an amazing challenge.
• Did Chung imply that she has never made a sandwich before? Really?
• I love how every Chung dish this season seems to have some connection to a relative.
• I suggest to Favreau a sequel to “Chef” based on Chung’s comment – “I don’t want to be a shadow chef.” Chef 2: Shadow Chef, coming to theaters in 2017.
• BB wanted a “Rudy” type speech from Favreau. Just as long as it ends with everyone presenting their chef jackets to Tom in order to get Cmar back in the game.
• Favreau gets another great line – about Nick’s carrots, “Was this inspired by the comedy of Carrot Top.” Snerk.
• Is it wrong that when BB said “when you’re happy and you’re cooking it shows,” I wanted to say, “Clap your hands!”?
• Extra – Favreau had to learn the foodie language. I still don’t get some of the terms.

Next week – Cooking in Emeril’s place. BB makes a mistake. And the finale will be in Maui.